Profile

With more than 1,700 guest rooms, a 2,200-capacity ballroom, and a warren of 38 whiteboard-equipped meeting areas, the New York Hotel & Towers is the biggest Sheraton in the world and provides a comfortable base for the name-tag-wearing conventiongoers that regularly flood its marble-floored lobby. In the public spaces, stainless steel and glass fixtures are paired with plaid curtains, red leather armchairs, and clusters of white orchids in chinoiserie vases, making for a setting that’s contemporary yet warm and inviting; understated guest rooms are decorated with dark-wood-framed photos of New York streetscapes and the same clubby, plaid-meets-leather décor. The location, just north of Times Square, is convenient for both midtown power lunches and first-time-in–New York sightseeing, but visitors should prepare themselves for a plethora of unexpected costs: $3.25 to check a bag for the day, 75 cents for newspaper delivery, and $10 per visit (or $20 per stay) to use the fitness center. Moreover, Wi-Fi access is limited to the lobby, with DSL available in guest rooms for—you guessed it—another fee. Anyone armed with an expense account, however, will be hard-pressed to find a more convenient midtown berth. — Candace Taylor

Comfortable, well-appointed rooms are perfectly situated for both business travel and basic New York sightseeing.

Cons
There’s no Wi-Fi service in the rooms, and tourists not on an expense account may be put off by the unexpected charges.